Yorkville school reopens after extensive brick by brick repair

NEW YORK - A city public school that first opened its doors 119 years ago is officially re-opening after a three-year renovation.

Every brick of P.S. 158 in Yorkville was replaced and the entire exterior was rebuilt.

The building was designed by former New York City Superintendent of Schools, C.B.J. Snyder.

Architects who worked on the project say it was in desperate need of an upgrade.

"It's been under construction for I'm guessing nearly two years. And that work has to happen during the week when students aren't in school. So that this is a fully occupied building and so it's really a challenging exercise and an extraordinary one. And this is one of those situations where New York really gets things done right," said Bruce Nelligan of Nelligan White Architects.

During the renovations, contractors came across journals dating back to the late 1800s.

The books were used for attendance and record keeping.

They will be sent to the New York City Municipal Archives for preservation.